The tale of Seattle and bicycles – a love story

For several months now, the number of bikes out on the street have increased with each month of summer, bringing out more than just the hardcore cyclists. From road bikes to “fixies”, everyone seems to have their own bike style, and own opinion about the rules of the road. With green roads and cycling lanes, you might wonder…

How and when did Seattle’s love for bicycles begin?

We turned to MOHAI’s Phyllis Franklin for the answer in the 25th installment of ASK MOHAI. (Got a question for next time? Send it here.)

Two wheels, lots of hills and plenty of frills

You think bicycling is challenging in Seattle now? When “safety bicycles” arrived in Seattle in the early 1890′s, riders had to contend with rutted dirt roads, steep ungraded hills, bicycle thieves, wild animals, and worse – roving cattle!

The first bicycle arrived in Seattle in 1879, but it wasn’t until “safety” bicycles were introduced in the early 1890′s that bicycling became a phenomenon. Imagine, these bikes had hard rubber tires, no gears, and no brakes. They were hardly comfortable, and “safety” was a relative term.

At that time, though Seattle was booming, its streets and sidewalks were primitive – most were dirt pathways riddled with ruts and mud, the others were wooden planks which degraded quickly, exposing spikes, splinters, and holes. Seattle’s precipitous hills were still ungraded, making them virtually impassable by bicycle. For those undaunted by the hills’ pitch, there were massive tree stumps to contend with.

But Seattleites, ever adventurous, formed clubs for the purpose of making cycling accessible to the masses. Outdoor arenas – or velodromes – were built for less intrepid members, and cinder-covered paths were constructed for those wanting to explore the nearby wilderness. The paths still contained an element of danger, however — in the summer of 1901, bikers were warned of bears on the Lake Washington and Capitol Hill paths.

It’s also worth noting that in 1894 cycling was considered a man’s sport, but the introduction of bloomers to women’s fashion changed that. “Rational dress”, as they were called, were fashionable and liberating for women, so long as they were tastefully subdued and worn strictly for cycling. With women joining the men, popularity in the sport increased rapidly. It’s been reported that by 1896, three hundred cyclists wobbled along the paths, and just one year later, the number of cyclists increased ten-fold to 3000. In that same year, the Seattle Bicycle Ordinance prohibited bicycles on sidewalks, instituted speed limits, and required bells and lights for each bike. Fines were collected for unlicensed bikes and passing on curves.

At the start of the 20th century, weekly bicycling columns in Seattle newspapers reported that ten thousand cyclists, in a city of 80,000, crowded Seattle paths and roadways. So next time you’re out on your bike avoiding texting motorists, be grateful that car traffic is all you have to worry about.